Low-resistance permanent wire



Dec. 10, 1929.

Filed March 2, 1925 Patented Dec. 10, 1929 PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR HEWS'JACKSON,

or HUNTINGTON PARK, caLIronNm LO'W -RESISTANCE PERMANENT WIREApplication filed March 2, 1925. Serial No. 12,728.

. Theobject of my invention is to provide in particular an aerial orantenna wire, buswire for wiring radio wireless instruments and othertypes of wire used in the transmisssion and reception of radio wirelesscomsame far superior exposed to munication and broadcasting programs andfor other electrical uses, having a low resistance to electricalcurrents used in wireless telegraphy and telephony, thus renderingelectrically to all other types now in use, and by virtue of theapplication of a protective coating to cause same to retain theirelectrical efficiency for many years, practically permanently, when theair or elements.

Reference is hereby made to the drawings hereto annexed.

Figure (1) shows a tion of round copper wire,

section and cross seesame havlng been first silver plated and aplatingof gold epplied over the silver.

Figure (2) shows a section and cross section of square bus or hook-upwire plated the same as Figure (1).

Figure (3) shows a section and cross section of hollow copper wire ortubing plated the same as Figure (1) Figure (1)-1 shows the solid coppercore or entire copper component; 2 shows a silver plating applied over 13 3 shows a gold plating a plied over 2.

Figure (2)1, 2 and 3 same as in Figure (1).

Figure (3)-1, 2 and 3 same as in Fig ures (1) and (2). It is well knownthat copper wire tarnishes and corrodes when exposed to the air, and

this action is rapid when it is subjected to the elements out-doors,thus increasing its resistance to high frequency electrical currents orwaves used in wireless telegraphy and telephony, with a consequentimpairment of its conductivity of such currents when used as an aerialor antenna in such wireless telegraphy communication or radio telephonytransmission and reception, and likewise when used in wirelessinstruments, and apparatus. The efficient operation of such mentionedaerial, antenna, wireless instruments and apparatus requires conductorsof low resistance to such high frequency currents, and any increase ofresistance is a detriment.

The high frequency currents herein referred to, travel in' the outerlayers of wire and other conductors and penetrate but a minute distance,thus a hollow tube would offer practically the same resistance as asolid wire of the same diameter.

Silver is the best conductor of electrical currents, both direct andhigh frequency wire- 09 less alternating. While it has a lowerresistance to direct currents than all other metals or combination ofmetals, this characteristic is very pronounced and of great value wherehigh frequency wireless currents are used. Such currents are very minuteor weak comparatively and any lowering of resistance in conductors usedin connection therewith is of prime importance and means the moreeflicient and successful operation of radio wireless aerials, antennas,wireless instruments and apparatus.

The high cost of silver prohibits its use in solid statesuchas solidsilver wires and conductors. The serious drawback to the use of silveras a conductor of high frequency currents where itssurface is exposedtothe air or elements is that it rapidly tarnishes and corrode's, thusincreasing its surface resistance to such high frequency electricalcura0 rents. Such currents travel with the least loss on conductorshaving bright surfaces, so it is necessar for efficiency to protect thesilver surface 'rom such tarnishing and corrosiolni1 by a protectingcoat of metal, preferably 35 go 4 While the contact resistance of silverto direct electrical currents remains unaltered if the surface betarnished or oxidized, a different situation is encountered when such 00tarnished, that is oxidized, silver surface is used as a conductor forhigh frequency electrical'currents or waves, as an aerial or antenua forwireless electrical uses. Another point is that a comparatively thinsilver plat- 9! ing when applied to copper wire or other metallicsurfaces undergoes severe damage when tarnishing takes place; thistarnishing is oxidization of the silver surface,a chemical action, theoxygen of the air changing the structure of the silver surface andplating and in a measure consuming it, so a silver plating if notprotected from oxidization would soon deteriorate and break down, thusthe plating wouldv not be stable. The air outdoors in thickly settledcommunities is more I or less mixed with various gases due for the mostpart to the burning of coal and petroleum, all of which cause-injuriouschemical action on silver surfaces and rendering such surfacesinefficient as conductors for said high frequency electrical currents.

Pure gold withstands the action of the elements and does not tarnish orcorrode so as to impair its electrical conductivity after many years ofexposure to them. It has a low resistance to direct and high frequencyelectrical currents. The high frequency resistance of any electricalconductor is several times its direct current value, thus the metalconductor having low direct current resistance is the best to usewithhigh frequency currents.

Efforts to protect copper from tarnishing and corroding have been made,such as applying a thin coating of tin to the surface or covering withvarious enamels which are gener ally baked on. The cost of applyingsuflicient block tin to the copper surface to protect it as mentioned isprohibitive, and besides any protective coating of tin offers a highresistance to high frequency currents about ten times that of copper. Itis well known that a thin coating of tin will deteriorate or permitsurfaces directly beneath it to do so when exposed to the elements. Highfrequency currents traveling along the surface and penetrating slightlya conductor coated with tin encounter hi h resistance thus tin coatedbus- L) 7 wire, aerials, antennas and other types of wire areinefficient when compared to "such wires with silver plate appliedfollowed by a plating of gold.

Any enamel, outside of porcelain which is entirely unsuitable forcoating wire, which will-withstand the action of the elements for aperiod of years without deteriorating is yet to be produced. Whenenameled wire is exposed to the elements the contraction and expansionof the metal forming such wire breaks down the enamel covering, causingminute fissures in it which permit air and moisture to enter withconsequent tarnishing and corrosion of the surface of the wire, thusimpairing its surface conductivity to high frequency currents. Theelements alone will cause the enamel to deteriorate independent of thesaid contraction and expansion of the metal.

Rubber covered wire, which is not as suitable for aerials and antennasas bare, has a serious disadvantage for wireless telegraphy andtelephony uses due to the fact that the sulphur remaining in the rubbercauses the surface to corrode with the result heretofore mentioned.

to include other forms of wire suc core 1 or surface an electro-plate ofsilver 2 and directly over the silver 2 and iii-contact with it anelectro-plate of pure gold 3. '-The silver plating 2 offers a path oflow resistance, the lowest of any metallic coating, to 4 the highfrequency currents mentioned, and the plating of gold 3 protects thesilver plating 2 from tarnishing and corrosionpractically permanently,thus such a plated wire preserves its electrical high frequency currentefficiency throughout a long period of time. Actual exhaustive testshave proven that such a plated wire aerial, Figs. 1 and 3, antenna,Figs. 1 and 8, bus-Wire, Fig. 2, is far superior to any others now inuse by reason ofits lower resistance to high frequency wireless currentsand its protection from tarnishing and corrosion. Such a wire aerial orantenna is the most economical when long service is considered. The costcan not be raised as an objection to its use. Applicant is now marketinga #1 copper wire plated as described that costs but 1 cent per foot toplate, and this cost can be reduced to less than a cent by eihcientquantity production in applicants own plant. A thin p1ating of gold 3 iseffectual in protecting the silver 2 as mentioned. Church spires inEurope have been coated with gold leaf that has endured for centuries.

- While gold has a somewhat higher electrical resistance than copper,this only holds true as long as copper surface is bright, unoxidized andfree from corrosion when used as a conductor for high frequency radiocurrents, for as copper starts to build up a high resistance to thesecurrents as soon as it is left exposed to the air or elements, it willquickly develop a higher electrical high frequency resistance than agold plating or c0vering. and other metals or elements, while it resistsoxidization, is inefficient as a conductor for high frequency electricalcurrents due to its high electrical resistance compared with silver,copper and gold. It is considered very important to avoid unnecessaryangles and turns in aerials, antennas and lead in wires because of theincreased electrical resistance to high frequency currentsintroduced,yet woven, twisted or braided combinations of enameled aerial andantenna wires have a great number of such angles and turns.

I am not confining myself to patent rights on a round copper wire Fig.1alone, for 1 believe it is within the scope of my invention as square,Fig. 2, hollow, Fig. 3, twisted, braided and others. I have manufacturedand marketed square bus-wire, Fig. 2, applying the plating to the copper1 as herein described. I do not Bronze, or combinations of bronze claimrights on the electro-platin process which has been known and used orman years, neither on various types of wire. t might be considered thatI am building on to wires new structures 2 and 3 that perform new anduseful functions and incorporate with the wires so as to form a unit. Ialso include other forms of electrical conductors comprising a core overwhich is applied a lower electrcial resistance metallic coating with aprotective covering applied over it as, herein described, and I furthercontemplate the addition of layers of other materials between theimportant elements of said conductors.

I am electro-plating the said copper wire and propose to plate It bydipping and suspending coils of same in the various electroplatingsolutions, but for quantity production I propose to run the wire throughsuch solutions or use any other process or means of bringing the wire incontact with them. I am not confining myself solely to theelectroplating process for applying the coating of silver and gold butinclude other processes such as running the wire through molten metal. Ialso include the use of other metals though not as efiicient, as where ametal oi low high frequency resistance is applied over a metal of higherresistance and a covering of weather resisting metal or material isapplied over the metal of low resistance. The electro-plating process istoo well known by 7 those who are skilled in it to need any detaileddescription. I use and propose to use the electro-plating processes ingeneral use. The silver plating applied should not be simply a wash butone sufiiciently substantial that would stand burnishing, a heavy strikeplate being sufiicient for the gold plating. By

using the electro-plating process referred to the metals are applied insoft form as distinguished from hard or hard drawn, similar to annealedmetals which have a lower resistance to all electrical currents than thehard drawn.

I may use and therefore include the use of combinations of metals, amongwhich is gold alloyed with silver or other metals.

I-Iaving'disclosed my invention I claim:

' 1. A wire of the character described consisting of a round coppercore, a layer of silver around the core and a layer of gold over thesilver.

2. An electrical conductor consisting of a core, a coating of silverover the core and a coating of gold covering the silver coating.

ARTHUR HEWS J ACKSON.

